Zelda’s Greatest Theories & Mysteries! (RYTM 2.0)

[@HyruleGamer]

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[@waldilks]

Misko might have had descendants that are called misko after him.

[@ScramblerUSA]

You forgot to mention Zelda saying about her feeling "the loving embrace" after Link rescues her...

[@itzriotplayz2377]

i wonder what misko looked like since he wasn"t seen in person in the game?

[@contemplatedthoughts]

Volo is in tears of the kingdom

[@contemplatedthoughts]

LoL

[@casseroledragon3277]

Zelink is also supported by Zelda having her hidden study at all. If she lived alone, why would she need a hidden place for her diary? It suggest Link lives with her in that home.

[@lasercraft32]

Not to mention all the stuff in Botw's Japanese translation, where the quest descriptions are from Link's perspective like a journal... He says something along the lines of "just wanting to see her smile again" and stuff like that.

[@maqaroon]

I had a wild theory while playing that Misko could be the Happy Mask Salesman (Misko/Masko). He's depicted as a travelling merchant selling masks/clothes which means it's not a problem for him to reach all the far flung cave locations. His morals also seem dodgy and you never find out where he gets his wares from. Wouldn't be a far jump to assume they are stolen. Another thing that struck me was how difficult some of the treasures were to find. Misko clearly had substantial powers or equipment, to rival those of Link. He had to deal with cave dwelling monsters and all the other obstacles and traps. Out of all NPCs in the Zelda universe, the Happy Mask Salesman is probably the only one who can possess powers greater or equal to that of Link. He taught Link the Song of Healing so it's not a far cry to assume he knows the Song of Time or some other way to move around in time. Misko is clearly also a reference to Sakon the thief from Majora's Mask. You get to infiltrate his secret hideout which happens to be inside a cave and retrieve The Couple's Mask. I think in BOTW they simply wanted this to be an easter egg of sorts. However Misko was expanded upon in TOTK and the character had to be more powerful and ominous to hide his treasures in all those locations. The little shrine design also looks Asian inspired which somehow fits with the style and clothing of the Happy Mask Salesman.

[@dbv8600]

Yes I myself always assumed that Misko was just some kind of wizard. Many of the shrines that were made to house the clothes do seem kind of rituralistic. Plus the abilities to set up some of those magical passageways, we know there are magic users in Hyrule and while that would be needed to be a master theif it makes sense a magic user would have an advantage over all other theifs and be considered the greatest. But the Happy Mask Salesman specifically is a pefect fit! In Breath of the Wild we could get Majora's Mask that either proves that there are multiple Majora's Masks or it proves that the Happy Mask Salesman posessed it at some point. Come to think of it we only ever refer to him as "The Happy Mask Salesman" I don't remember ever getting a first name. It couldn't be Misko could it?

[@jockson7574]

I think Misko is some sort of dark prophet like Astor who could open up caves or was a Yiga member

[@CDWeavz]

At first I was thinking about how Misko might be the ancient hero from his aspect you can wear in TOTK. This makes more sense in a weird way and I love it.

[@godzilla80192]

In terms of caves opening and closing that’s actually more common then you might think. I live in Utah and most caves around here are created via earthquakes and can close just as fast as they open. It seems more likely to me that misko hid the armor in the past, the caves collapsed later on and then reopened with the upheaval.

[@Crowebar-fe9ln]

15:50 I think it’s worth noting that the game explicitly tells you that you won’t take fall damage in water, so Link knows that they’ll both be fine. He just wanted to hold her close anyway. If you ask me, that is NOT the hold of someone who’s only doing his job.

[@kit76149]

He also puts down his sword and turns around to comfort her in the spring of wisdom (at the end of the memory right before it cuts out), comforts her in the rain, Impa in botw says he was a great comfort to her, etc Link also says she has a beautiful voice and wants to see her smile again with his own eyes in the jpn quest log in botw, and in totk "my sweet princess" and "I have to live up to her feelings/wishes for me" It was never just a job. People just choose to ignore their development and these things because they hate her character or zelink, and desperately want to pretend Link also doesn't care about her just because they don't. Or they somehow think the devs wrote things into a story and animated stuff like that for no purpose

[@Crowebar-fe9ln]

@@kit76149 right? Like these things are very deliberate. There’s no way any of that was by accident

[@viperleviathan9021]

I like to think that maybe Miskio is a Mogma! It explains how he gets into the sealed caves lol

[@trainerxiong]

I'm all for this! I miss the Mogma

[@J0rangeman]

That is a Great theory, because the Mogma love Treasure.

[@scottmeinel7782]

On the Misko theory my idea is this. Maybe Misko isn't the name of one man but more of a title that's passed on to someone when that Misko gets to old to keep going. This thought came to me from the movie "The Princess Bride". The main male leading role becomes this person The Dread Pirate Roberts after it's been revealed to him that there have been more than a few people with this title.

[@KiraKaiten]

What if Rauru's other arm had a whole different set of abilities, like decend instead of ascend etc

[@lasercraft32]

"My people need me. Goodbye" *Descends into the Depths*

[@a.jthomas6132]

Since Sidon’s wife Yona is a Zora of a different tribe, I find it interesting to hear there are other lands and regions outside of Hyrule.

[@itzriotplayz2377]

like where kass went.

[@a.jthomas6132]

@@itzriotplayz2377 Perhaps. Though I wish Kass was in the game. From what I can tell, fans are still pissed about it.

[@Skywalker10767]

I like to imagine that the other lands outside of hyrule are just the real world countries 😂

[@peanutbutter6720]

I mean we’ve already seen some, Holodrum, Labrynna, Hytopia. They’re all different kingdoms with their own populations of Gorons, Zora, etc.

[@michaelolympus5994]

There is literally a vast land just on the side of Hyrule

[@kit76149]

"How exactly does Link know the warmth and power of Light Dragon scales feels familiar? Why does Link think of her as "my sweet princess"? How did Zelda obtain his clothing items several times? Why disguise to go to Lover's Pond more than once? Why hide his gift behind the throne specifically? Why is there a heart bed in the Deku Tree with blue nightshades and Silent Princesses next to it? Or those same flowers paired together at Rutile Lake? Why is the dream home something you need to find a "special someone" for? Why does the dining table in that dream home have the same flowers as the ending scene? Or a study unit for "time alone"? Why is Link so closely bonded with Zelda's horse? Why can I yell "I have!" when asked if I have a gf/mind set on someone by Ashai? Why "favored" swordsman? " - From a post on Tumblr Adding onto everything else, not only does the akkala stable npc, Tenne, talk about dream homes as if it's a tradition for akkala couples to purchase them, but on the dining table in Link's house there is a vase with forget-me-nots. Link's house is the only house anyone can find so far that uses this specific vase asset, and those flowers, forget-me-nots, are the purple flowers that surround Link and Zelda in the game's ending. They also surround those blue night (get it, blue knight?) shades and silent princesses at Rutile Lake, like some kind of visual pun or metaphor. Forget-me-nots, by the way, represent true love

[@dany_fg]

4:54 right after the calamity it was apparently pretty safe to explore the castle and only a short time before botw it became more dangerous (an npc named Parcy at the Riverside stable explained this in botw).

[@trexep]

The Dueling Peaks origin could be a time loop situation like the song of storms in OoT. Like Link knew the song because he learned it from the guy who he taught it when he went back in time Zelda knew that the mountain would be split because it already was split in her time and when she went to the past before it happened and she became the light dragon she split the mountain to create the safe travel route she knew would exist in the future.

[@danielcook7975]

I believe Nintendo said it was farosh's doing couple years ago, though fuzzy memory on that part. True considering that both Zeldas existed at that time, light dragon could have at some point during first calamity struck the mountain. She might also be responsible for that giant hole on Hebra mountain. We know now how silent princess came to be too, we only knew they grew in the wilds when in reality it was all light dragon Zelda's doing. I love these kind of theories cause Zelda is kind of known for mysteries like that

[@densuomega]

@@danielcook7975 I was gonna say that I'm pretty sure it was Farosh that did it, tho I don't remember where I saw it from. My only reason as to why Farosh might have done it is that in BOTW, dunno about TOTK cuz I haven't fully explored the map yet, there's a mountain, or a little rocky hill, that's been split into 3 with scorch marks surrounding it, and at the center is a thunder blade, I think the thunder blade also no longer spawns after you pick it up, but might have to check on that. Who knows how it happened or who did it, maybe in the hands of a lightning mage or someone more experienced and versed in magic and magic weapons a thunder blade can hit like an actual lightning bolt, but if a blade were able to do that; then Farosh, a lightning dragon, whose very presence electrifies the air around it, were to approach a mountain...

[@verdantmistral442]

Honestly, I feel the dragons disappearing through portals being them passing through the cloud barrier was the answer that was most accepted before TotK came out. And I feel the start of TotK basically confirms that when Zelda dispels it after the tutorial.

[@SpiderRiviera]

TotK is a stable time loop. We start the game, wake up Mummydorf who then notes our names, before Zelda gets flung into the past to then meet Rauru, Sonia and fight in the Imprisoning War where Rauru sealed Ganondorf. As Mummydorf knew Zelda and surmised the Knight was Link, it HAS to be the same timeline Zelda left as there seems to be no marked change in the intervening years (beyond maybe Dragon Zelda actually carving the peak into two).

[@a.jthomas6132]

There are some evidence in Tears of the Kingdom that I have found prove enough that Zelink is canon: In memory 8 of the Dragon Tears, Zelda tells Rauru her description of Link as well as her fondness of her knight/hero/lover. Her ancestors acted like the kind of parents who would be interested in meeting their daughter’s boyfriend and hoping to put Link’s mind at ease. - Before the pair set out to investigate the glooms beneath Hyrule Castle, Zelda was about to surprise Link with the newly improved Champion’s Tunic. - Both become teachers in Zelda’s School to educate a new generation of Hylians in Hateno Village with the assistant of Symin (since they saw themselves through them). - I’m not sure what the Japanese version is like, it claims that it is their home while the western called Link’s formal home “Zelda’s House”. - When Sidon said “I’m sorry, but we have yet to find your princess“ in either before or after you completed the Water Temple mission, this may implied that he is aware of their relationship. - A scene you get of Link surrounded by the silent princess flowers, a flower field where there are princess flowers and blue nightshade side-by-side, an npc implying married couples by dream homes, that dream home having a study and silent princesses nearby. - After completing the side quest in Lurelin Village, NPC tells Link about the couple’s secret visit at the Lover’s Pond (meaning Zelda visits there with Link accompanying her) - While the original Western version of Tears of the Kingdom calls this side quest “Potential Princess Sightings”, Link calls her "my sweet princess" in the Japanese quest log version. - After exploring the geoglyphs, the Japanese version of the mission log shows that Link learned of Zelda becoming the Light Dragon (or white Dragon in Japanese) all to entrust the Master Sword to him, and he must live up to her feelings, no matter what; "なんとしてもゼルダ姫の想いに応えなければ" or "(I) have to live up to/must respond to Princess Zelda's feelings" - in the final boss battle, Light Dragon (Zelda) comes to save and aids Link against Draconified Ganondorf which could mean not all of her is lost. Zelda’s love for Link could be explained by her dragon instinct if not of Fi helping to keeping her conscious intact for millionia. -Zelda’s dragonification is reversed when Rauru’s light power and Sonia’s time power channeling through Link. The reason why it happened was because they required Link’s stronger motives. And we have seen that before in BOTW where Zelda’s motives to save Link triggered her Light powers. It was love. - The entire goal of the game from the start isn't even "Kill Ganondorf". It is to "Find Princess Zelda" and that is only completed by Link by catching the real Zelda. - Link held on to her tightly as they landed on a lake. Upon being woken after being asleep for hundreds of thousands of years, Zelda can describe it as “a warm, loving embrace”. - When Zelda said “ Link ,I’m home”, I believe it is not just she really returned to the Hyrule she belongs to. But Link is her home. In Japanese however, Zelda said this: "ただいま... リンク" (pronounced as I'm home Link). These words depicts that is either someone close to family or a person you shared space with (aka lover). This hints that Link and Zelda are indeed lovers. - Mineru Theorized that reversing Zelda’s Draconification requires Sonia’s Time power and Rauru’s Light Power to be channeled through Link’s arm; but activating magic is also in need of strong motive. That is when Zelda smiles at her knight knowing how much his princess means to him. - In comparing the two secret endings, Link runs up to Zelda in Breath of the Wild while he walks proudly as he is showing his composure among his friends approaching Zelda. While she has shown a lot of love and care for the people of Hyrule, Princess Zelda’s true love is for Link and only the player can see the two of them in love.

[@graenovember]

ooh i love that last point. i’m not sure if everything you said is true, mostly with the japanese version, but the running in botw’s end compared to the walk in totk? i love that you noticed this because it tells us link is more free and open with zelda but more composed when his other friends are with them.

[@a.jthomas6132]

@@graenovember I just wrote in on everything I wrote on this analysis. Basically I did some deep research by looking into other sources since the Japanese felt more original compared to the western version. But I’m glad that you point that out the secret ending in TOTK shows that Link being composed around his friends without revealing his involvement to Zelda’s relationship.

[@Delulula]

I love how they basically confirmed Zelink in tears. It’s like “let’s squeeze as much evidence in here as we can without being too obvious.”

[@a.jthomas6132]

@@Delulula They also confirmed Zelink in Breath of the Wild as well.

[@Ahouro]

There is no proof that Zelink is canon so stop spreading this fucking lie.

[@a.jthomas6132]

This may be a theory. But consider how Link is being more attached and immersive to the Zora's cultural ways since he was a child, Zelda might of taken the idea of building the Champion's Leather as a way of marriage proposal just as Mipha is about to give Link the Zora's Armor before the Calamity struck. It would make sense if you think about it.

[@tehabi]

Maybe. There is a journal entry that says she repaired them for him and had hidden for safe keeping

[@a.jthomas6132]

@@tehabi Surprise him not keep it from him. Zelda is gonna give the new Champion’s Tunic after investigating the cause of the Gloom beneath Hyrule Castle. And yes the journal entry is a part of why I summoned up my comment.

[@tehabi]

@@a.jthomas6132 I forgot that part

[@justinwilson5006]

I love this theory A TON. It’s beautiful when you think about it.

[@tehabi]

@a.jthomas6132 one part that doesn't make much sense is why did she put his hair tie in her "secret place" in the well by their house

[@jaygames5145]

The dragon question is interesting. I always thought the three dragons were the Rulers of the Labyrinths considering the devs took time to put them in the game and the original people could have been named after the golden goddesses due to their importance. I often wondered if they had to become dragons due to it being an honor or perhaps to hide the location of the Evil Spirit Armor.

[@GothTk14]

The "Purgatory" Depths honestly reminds me of the Dark World/Lorule from Link to the Past/Link Between Worlds

[@bowenorcutt78]

Personally, I was mildly disappointed to not find Subrosia down there myself.

[@Chris-gx1ei]

​​​@@bowenorcutt78 Wasnt this the underground area of Holundrum? I am sure Holundrum is a whole different Kingdom (or Country rather, Holundrum didnt have a Kingdom on its own apparently

[@bowenorcutt78]

@Chris-gx1ei Yeah. I just hoped for some kind of reference to them. Admit I wasn't holding out MUCH hope though. But how funny would it have been if they were at least just vaguely referenced by an NPC or something?

[@Twilightbard]

Misko being a time traveler would explain how perfect replicas of armor from the adventures of past heroes, and from multiple timelines. He could’ve seen them, or seen drawings of them from their time… Maybe he’s one of the heroes himself, maybe one that hasn’t had a game made about him, or even just a descendant, using his inherited abilities, but only using them for mischief. If not for mischief, his goal was to preserve the history of his ancestors for a future hero to see, since he would know they weren’t mere legends, wearing them proudly

[@Hairo-rv9kl]

I have a theory that Mineru might have been trying to find a way to bring the Zonai back as Constructs. We know from the Ancient Tablets that Mineru had already been working on prolonging her life with a Construct body since before Zelda arrived. This shows us that she already had a strange interest in immortality. However, the question is why would you have a whole factory dedicated to making this type of Construct if you were only going to make one for yourself? We know from the Steward at the Factory that the Crafter Constructs (which is what they're called) were supposed to be delivered to Dragonhead Island, which we know is where Mineru's mask is. I believe this only became the intended destination when Mineru became a part of Zelda's plan. In fact, I'm going to argue that the original intended destination was the Spirit Temple. When looking at the interior of the Temple we can see that the walls are line with these strange shelves, some of them have Poes inside (keep this in mind for later) and some have a lid covering them. If we take a closer look at these coverings, we can see that they have the imprint of a Crafter Construct, almost like they're supposed to be slotted into them. It seems to me that this is where Mineru was originally planning to store the Crafter Constructs. This proves that Mineru was planning to mass-produce them, but why? Well, my first guess is that maybe they were also intended to have secondary use as mining tools, given how they can be piloted by Hylians and can attach multiple devices onto their bodies, hence the name Crafter Construct. This would also explain why they were being kept in the Depths, since almost all the Zonaite mining went on in there. But then something caught my eye: The Poes. There are Poes ALL OVER the Spirit Temple. I know that large groups of poes that can be found in the Depths, but why so many at the Spirit Temple? Well, maybe it's just a nod to the fact that it's the *Spirit* Temple, but then there's the Poes resting inside the shelves on the walls. Before I noticed the imprints on the coverings, I was actually under the assumption that the Spirit Temple was actually a mausoleum of sorts because of all the Poes, and shelves strongly resembled tombs. It would also make sense that the Spirit Temple, like the other dungeons, would have a secondary purpose apart from being a base for the Sage (Stormwind Ark is a battleship, Gorondia is a city, etc). What if the Spirit Temple is a mausoleum, and the Poes in the tombs are Zonai spirits? What of that's why the coverings have the imprint of the Crafter Constructs? What if the reason why Mineru was planning on mass-producing them was in the hopes that spirits of the Zonai in the tombs would find their way into the Constructs? That could explain why there's water at the bottom of the Temple. To catch the Constructs if they fall as they wake up. The question then becomes why? Why would Mineru want to bring back the Zonai? Well, it's made pretty obvious that out of the two siblings, Mineru had the strongest interest in Zonai history. Rauru even says so himself. And it's clear that Rauru doesn't actually seem to know much about his own people, or really care much about it. He didn't even know about draconification even though he possess a Secret Stone and is responsible for guarding them. Keep in mind that Mineru is also the older one of the two. Now, we don't know how Zonai age, or how much older Mineru is to Rauru, but maybe the reason why Mineru still holds on fondly to the Zonai is because she remembers them more than Rauru. Maybe Rauru was very young when the Zonai left, so he doesn't remember much, but Mineru still does, and she misses them. She misses her people. Combined with her strange fascination with prolonging life through spirit transfer, and we might have a possible motive. All of this of course hinges on the assumption that the Zonai are actually extinct, which could very likely not be the case. We know that by Rauru's time, he and Mineru were the only ones left, but it's never made clear whether they're the last Zonai in general, or just on the surface.

[@thederpydragon4204]

Oh man, that's a really good one, and it gives the spirit temple a much more somber feeling. Now I want to go back and explore the temple again with this in mind!

[@thelittlebosniaexperience8181]

Occam’s Razor on the first theory: there are other entrances to the caves we never see that were not sealed. In real life caves can have many entrances. Even in universe, look at Death Mountain in games like ALTTP and AoL

[@neox4735]

Fun fact: Misko sounds like the Swedish word “mysko” which is a word for mysterious. Just a fun little detail I just noticed :D Shoutout to the discord server as per usual ofc!

[@Gyaradosage]

My own silly little theory for Misko is that Misko could travel through the timelines, not just time. So he could be a collector… or someone who is fully aware of the Hero reincarnating throughout multiple timelines. He could pop up between Links and collect the genuine artifacts, then stash them away to wherever and whenever he wanted. If he really wanted to keep the treasures all for himself, clearly he has the ability to put them all in a place that nobody could reach. But he doesn’t. I think Misko moves the artifacts to one point and time so that the Hero can use them again. That’s why the treasures are hidden from normal people, but easily found by Link. That’s why there’s clues. Misko wants Link to find them. Who do we know who has a passion for fashion and specifically wants Link to fix things? Who has access to artifacts that grant the wearer special abilities? Who is tied in with a story about time travel? Who is one of the few people who has seen what the Fierce Deity can do? And who said that not all partings are forever? The Happy Mask Salesman.

[@lasercraft32]

I have a theory that Paya's grandfather was Kass' old mentor, the Court Poet. The Court Poet was a sheikah who served the hyrule royal family, and worked alongside Zelda a lot. He ended up falling in love with Zelda, but never confessed because Zelda "only had eyes for her escort, he own knight attendant." This is coincidently very similar to what happens with Paya, who falls in love with Link, but never confesses because she assumes Link likes Zelda. After the Calamity struck, the Court Poet fled to Kakariko Village. Based on what we know from Age of Calamity (which is a separate timeline, but very similar to the main one) Impa was about the same age and also worked with Zelda at the time. Since they are both Sheikah who worked with the princess, its not out of the question that Impa and the Court Poet knew each other. Even if they didn't, Kass mentions that the Court Poet did meet Impa in Kakariko Village before he went off to research the ancient songs. We know that Impa _had_ to have had a kid with someone, otherwise Paya wouldn't exist, so its possible it could have been the Court Poet. We don't know how long he might have stayed at Kakariko before he went to research the songs. In general its extremely odd that there is no mention of Paya's parents (who are mysteriously not present, I can only assume dead) or Impa's husband (who is almost definitely dead). We don't know much about their family in general. But hey, that's just a theory... A GAME THEORY!

[@sergeantneko]

For the Zelink theory, there's another detail you might have missed. At the end of the game after waking up, she says "I'm home." In english, this is pretty standard. However, in japanese, the specific word she says is "Tadaima," which is specific to couples in Japanese culture.

[@Delulula]

Man I say if you want to keep doing these videos, then keep at it! I’m sure people will always still watch.

[@jarrettd11]

For some reason I convinced myself that when raru made the light beam to deflect ganons attack, he split the mountain and made the dueling peaks

[@Sarah_H]

The Gerudo Assault takes place looking down Taobab Grassland and Oseira Plains, WAY far away from Dueling Peaks, but if the Light Dragon could also fire a light laser like Rauru did in that memory then yeah she could def split a mountain lol

[@therejectedbeatle]

I think it’s said before that a dragon split the dueling peaks in half?

[@ri-guygames8052]

Theory: in botw maybe when the three “goddess dragons” emerged out of the water it was them coming from the depths. And when they went through the vortex in the sky, they were going to the currently hidden sky islands.

[@emiliomartinez7573]

Maybe Misko the bandit is a descendent of that guy with the purple bunny hood and can squeeze through small cracks like in a link between worlds.

[@lasercraft32]

Ravio.

[@michaelkaduck1915]

I love these videos! It's really nice that you engage with the community like this! I have a couple theories: 1. Is Lurelin Village actually Outset Island from Wind Waker, simply in a world without the flood? The geography and locales, and the position of the lookout post make me very convinced they are connected. It's even in a rockeier, more mountainous area, like how the islands in Wind Waker were mountain-tops once. 2. Did Ganondorf always secretly want to become the Demon Dragon as an option? Calamity Ganon spawned from his corpse, and mostly appeared as a serpentine entity of smoke with yellow eyes, like the form of the Demon Dragon when Ganondorf consumes the Secret Stone. 3. Are the Zonai descendents of humans from Skyloft? The Great Plateau is similar to Skyloft, the Zonai can breed with humans, and their dragon architecture in reminds me of the three dragons from Skyward Sword. And in the Loftwing-inspired ruins in Lanayru, Zonai ruins can be found.

[@josephasbury4492]

1. Lurelin Village, and the fact that several people mention that they hail from there, does seem to represent Outset Island and the concept of an Islander people. I assume that aspects of each of the timelines had to be present when they merged, and that this is one of many inherited from the Adult Timeline. The geography lines up beautifly, and there even seems to be a homage to the Fairy Fountain in the Woods via Lover's Pond. Great find! 2. The fact that the Demon Dragon bares similarity to Calamity Ganon is no mistake. While both are a primal form of Malice, the Demon Dragon is obviously more powerful and complete as it is composed of both the body and spirit of Ganondorf. It's seems the fan base was disappointed that the dragon-like form teased in the Tapestry turned out to simply be an ethereal form native to Calamity Ganon. Perhaps Calamity Ganon was slightly more tangible as a threat in the Ancient Past, as it didn't need to spread itself thin in order to possess Ancient Technology. I do think the decision to transform was one made out of desperation, as imposing upon the Living is the ultimate conviction of Demise's Curse. His final form being working as fan fulfillment also doesn't hurt, as this fight was what a lot of people originally had in mind for BOTW.

[@josephasbury4492]

3. I don't think we'll be given much more concrete information about the Zonai from Nintendo as this typically gets in the way of fan speculation. That being said, I do believe that the Zonai operated in some capacity within the world shown to us in the Age of Myth and Legend. Floating Islands definitely seem to be a timeless technology as there existence is shown both in this game and in Skyward Sword. The Twili's ancestors and the Zonai also seem to use similar magic; the Fused Shadows shares motifs with their architecture, and bares a passing resemblance to the parts of the Seized Construct that are corrupted. Eyes of "Light" or "Truth" are seen all throughout Hyrulean dungeons, and the Shiekah share their affinity for both ocular and tear-based imagery. A mysterious tribe that were closer to the Gods are still credited with having colonized the surface before the Humans did, and the Early Hylians found it important to keep contact with this skyward people using the Dominion Rod. If I had to guess, the Zonai are the people responsible along with Goddess Hylia for the existence of the various dungeons and Temple's found throughout the land. Their inherited blood is what gave rise to the Hylians as a race, and is most prominently displayed via their signature ears and white hair shown off by the Shiekah and the leaders of Skyloft. We know that Demise looked down upon humans as weak and cowardly; having the Zonai and Hylia as benefactors would definitely help explain how they were able to advance as a society, and why Link possessed so much strength. I like to that the Dragon's Ring is homage not only to Zonai's "overarching" contributions made in the Age of the Wild, but also their "underlying" contributions made at the onset of the Age of Myth that made everything possible. Thus, two dragons in circling one another.

[@ParkerRut]

Mystery: How are the misko armor sets the exact same ones from BotW? For example- you can find the barbarian armor from Misko's chests, and you can find the exact same barbarian armor completely differently in BotW. How did Link lose his sets from BotW and they magically reappear in different spots?

[@whistlingstarlight2942]

Iirc they're considered non-canon in BotW as they come from amiibo. Therefore whilst some players might've obtained them, as far as the official story goes Link himself didn't collect them. Come TotK they're part of the base game (and official story) and now canon (if I'm understanding it right)

[@tristanneal9552]

@@whistlingstarlight2942 This explains the armor sets in the Depths. But Misko's armor sets could be found in game in BotW with no Amiibo necessary.

[@whistlingstarlight2942]

@@tristanneal9552 ah got them a bit mixed up, apologies. Yeah, not quite sure on that one lol

[@Vincent-in1uc]

Gotta love some good ol' Zelda theory videos!

[@HyruleGamer]

Hope you enjoyed!

[@Burrito25]

Woooohooo! So glad RYTM is back!! Also happy birthday for tomorrow! As a gift, you can have my opinion on zelink: One thing I do notice in totk that the vibe between zelda and link is much more caring and passionate. In botw, she was at first dismissive and annoyed at link, but then later realises his dedication to her, then making them seem more friendly, yet still with her voice guiding you as you go through the game, she sounds more like she is commanding a warrior, rather than asking a friend or love to do something. Then, in totk, she sounds much more admiring and caring of link, as lovers do. Furthermore, in her diary if I remember right she was talking about surprising link with the new champion's leathers (as lovers do). This is either better voice acting, or, as this is a theory, intentional alongside other things such as the house sharing. So this definitely helps prove zelink.

[@MollyOKami]

I always saw Misko the Bandit like The Princess Bride's Dread Pirate Roberts, a line of various people who've taken upon themselves the mantle over time. There has never been just ONE Misko, but many, and, whenever someone steals & hides a great treasure, it's credited to The Great Misko.

[@PixelatedTori]

Something that stands out to me about the discussion regarding time flow in TotK is how a lot of people seem to be saying "could this be a new timeline/new time split?" but I never got that vibe from this game. The Zelda franchise thusfar has (kind of unwillingly or accidentally) operated off of different timelines, to sort their games in a way that would make ALL of their content canon. But this game is a new thing, a different formula intended to reboot the series (in tandem with BotW). I got the vibe from this game that the whole thing isn't a "new future" or new timeline or whatever. Instead, it's a huge time loop. That's the point of the ouroboros symbol in the main title: showing the endless loop of the events depicted in this game. This zelda was always meant to travel to the past and complete the ritual to heal the master sword. Link was always meant to lose his arm and travel to the sky with the broken sword to send it back to Zelda. Ganondorf was always meant to be resurrected and defeated once and for all by Link and the Light Dragon. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the two hadn't gone below Hyrule castle, Ganondorf might never have resurrected in their time and the loop probably would have broken...except if they didn't go below, Zelda never would have traveled to the past and helped seal Ganondorf, and Hyrule wouldn't exist. If these events weren't looped, then we'd never be able to destroy Ganondorf because there would be no sages bound by promise to awaken their descendants as sages and pass their stones on, there wouldn't be a light dragon to repair the broken master sword (which would get broken no matter what, due to Ganondorf's initial ability to break it, even in his mummified state). The best outcome we could get if Zelda never traveled to the past to fulfill the loop, is maybe being able to seal Ganondorf for another who-knows-how-long number of milennia. I also think it's neat how the Zelda team finally put Ganondorf to rest. I'm excited to see what new main villains we'll get in future games now that their most prevalent/well-known baddie daddy is gone for good.

[@pronintendo1984]

The dueling peaks were split over 10,000 years ago In the Astral Observatory in Hyrule Castle, you can actually see major landmarks of Hyrule etched into the walls, and the Dueling Peaks were seen already split. But on it Hebra Peak was still without the hole.

[@espinoth9913]

What if Misko was also active OUTSIDE of Hyrule? Say he stole the Harp of Ages from Labrynna and learned the Tune of Time, for instance! That's one way he could have the ability to time travel.

[@mrtomachatz]

it's worth noting (I find it extremely interesting) that the composition of the depths mimics the appearance of the bottom of the sea. the ground and many mountains look like dead coral. and there's many alien looking plant life, which characteristically is very similar to the bottom of the ocean. don't know what this really means as far as lore is concerned, but it lends credence to a post great flood world.

[@WoodlandGloom]

About the "Link can't sleep in anyone else's bed" He can still sleep in Dr. Calip's bed.

[@Is-wunny]

What if Misko is not even a Hylian? He may be: A) a Korok B) a Yiga Clan Member C) other My reasoning for these are: Korok are likely because they like Hiding, Maybe a Mischevious Korok Stole Armor pieces and Hid them as a Korok would Hide from Hestu, just to Prank. A Yiga Clan is my second guess, mostly because their Thievery nature, and Misko doesnt Hide (or hid) the fact that they Stole these clothes. Other Race is a Likely option, maybe not a Goron or something, BUT there's a Race that i feel like Misko could have been a Mogma

[@Danosauruscrecks]

I think he's a rito

[@mcponblack116]

I really miss listening to all the zelda theories as i drive and go through out my day

[@v1de0gamr23]

Adding to the theory that the Depths are a kind of Purgatory: you don't encounter any of the temple bosses down there until after youve killed them in the overworld. Also, I have a theory: the dark skeletons in the Depths are the remains of former dragons.

[@raffaelm6558]

I've never been this early to a HG video, huzzah! I really loved the dragon theory, that is something I would have never even considered. I prefer the theory that the three dragons were Zonai priests who swallowed Secret Stones (hence the outfits that resemble the dragons) but the outfits could also have been worn by Zonai priests who worshipped the Goddesses. Both definitely works.

[@Moon-Vixen]

for Misko, I think it's actually a case of there being more than one. not so much a reincarnation thing or the reason Beetle keeps appearing over the ages, but more like some fictional pirates. a person becomes a legend, who puts fear into governments and has a legendary treasure, to the point that they almost become like a ghost. and this is because it's multiple pirates over the ages taking on that name to contribute to that legend and legacy. there was a Misko of the past who placed those garments into shrines hidden deep in caves that closed up, and a Misko in the future who hid them a little less well, but also died out possibly in the calamity. and one day, another bandit good enough to be an equal in skill as past Miskos who will take on the moniker and hide new things, further building up the hype around the legacy of the "greatest bandit ever" and inspiring more and more to seek out said treasure. after all, it'd be terribly sad for someone as amazing as Misko to have his treasure all found by Link, ending this ageless legacy. but if there's always more to find, then the hunt is always on. for zelink, the biggest proof imo, is how the end game goal is all about her. in BOTW, it was about beating calamygam and saving Hyrule. but in TOTK, even though this is an even bigger threat, the only thing Link cares about is *her.* finding *her.* he starts the game with her, he throws the master sword aside and ignores a monster to selflessly dive after her. the moment he wakes up he wants to know where she is, and Rauru has to redirect him. his goal for the whole game is finding out where she is and what happened, and the ending is all about working together with her to stop the monster that took her from him in the first place, and then righting his mistake and finally catching her, holding her in a "warm and loving embrace". his affection for her is HEAVY in this game. zelink is honestly undeniable here. and for Zelda making the dueling peaks, I'm confused why you're confused. Zelda goes to Rauru's time, which is before BOTW, and breaks the mountain in two. then when BOTW happens, the peaks are already separated allowing Link to pass through. then after Link tells her (or she sees as she's supposedly watching his every move) she learns of how important that path was to the start of his journey. then she goes back to Rauru's time. it's a loop, but it absolutely works. the only real question is how she broke it, like what power she used, since she's not really seen in an offensive position as a dragon, only defensive. but it absolutely works as a theory.

[@ezequielschlaen5992]

I have a pretty crazy theory on hoy time travel work in the series. Whenever someone timetravels to the past in Zelda games, 3 rhings can happen: -the present changes, like when planting seeds in the past in OoT and SS -nothing changes because it's a time-loop, like rhe song of storms, and the whole story of TotK -norhing changes because a different timeline was created, like killing Demise in the past at rhe end of SS, or the ending of OoT And if you payed attention, there's kind of a pattern in how it works, although it's a bit of a stretch. If the change isn't meaningful, it just changes the future. If the change is important to the progression of the story or the whole timeline, it will be a loop, it was destined to happen. But if the change somehow affects the cycle of reincarnation of the main trio, nothnig happens in that timeline, but it creates a new one. Like Link dying at the end of OoT, or travelling to the past creating a timeline where Ganondorf is executed, or killing Demise in the past which should cause the Imprisoned to not exist in the present and yet he was there, and even Age of Calamity killing Calamity Ganon 100 early... Yeah it's a stretch, but I think it's cool and interesting

[@Cosmosis-86]

Imagine if Misko was related to Tingle? 😂 (Edit) I love the theory that the light dragon made the dueling peaks. The depths are a strange and mysterious place, with all the old structures, mines, coliseums, grave yard, etc… TOTK really made a lot of room for speculations and theories, I wouldn’t be surprised if deliberately done, following how much discussion there was over BOTW… allowing players to use their imaginations to come with ideas? It’s definitely going to be interesting to see what the next mainline Zelda game will be like?

[@thederpydragon4204]

The dueling peaks is a tricky one. In the depths, the canyon that mirrors them is split apart, separated by a solid wall. We know the depths existed during the zonais time, because of the established mines, constructs, and zonai architecture. This implies that they were formed at least before the peak of zonai civilization. Meaning a whole, uninterrupted canyon should have formed to mirror the mountain before it was split into two. But as you pointed out, the mountain is whole on the surface at that time. Do the depths change form to mirror changes in the surface? Or did Zelda split the mountain and the remaining rock fell to the depths, settling over thousands of years into the rock wall we see in the present? Or is the whole mountain we see in the past from another timeline, one unaltered by Zelda, where the mountain and its canyon counterpart both remained whole?

[@koztech]

1) The cloud barrier is created by the 3 goddesses (as seen in OoT cutscenes) when they ascend back into the heavens and you see that circle-like energy wave. 2) The water barrier in WW is the same as the cloud barrier, only much lower to the ground. Clouds condensed due to the change in the environment resulting from the flooding. 3) The cloud barrier is a different dimension that merges with Hyrule's in TotK. What that dimension is isn't known (Sacred Realm, Golden Land, Silent Realm, something new, etc.) 4) Regarding Zelink: The bed in Link's old house in Hateno only has 1 pillow. 5) The depths are what the "Legends" describe as: a) The Dark world b) The Twilight Realm c) Lowrule d) etc.

[@sheokh]

Who is the ancient hero. Here’s a theory, just like Link’s form changes when donning the armour. The hero form 10,000 year ago also was not the first hero to wear the armour. On completing the trials each past hero give part of their essence to help empower future heroes. The reason why we don’t recognise the race is that the form is an amalgamation of the races of Hyrule. For instance the red hair (including the bit on the tail) is from a gerudo hero(s) while the tail itself is from a zora hero(s). The other features being a blend of the races.

[@ravioli7232]

While playing TotK I noticed that in the Taobab grasslands there are pictures on the trees. There’s one that looks like a bird, the others I can’t decipher. Every time I think about this I think, ‘It’s probably just the texture of the tree, you’re imagining it,’ then I look at it and it’s there. I checked BotW and I see it there too, I just never noticed it before. The bird reminds me of Van Medoh. I swear it’s there, I’m not crazy.

[@Gyaradosage]

Ooh. I’m absolutely going to look for those now.

[@12parakeetsinahumansuit]

Hear me out here. What if the Misko who placed those armor sets in caves and the Misko whose journals we found in botw weren't the same Misko? We know reincarnation is a thing in the zelda series. Not just with Demise's curse bringing back Link, Zelda, and sometimes Ganondorf either. We've seen characters like Impa and Beedle in multiple games, who also serve similar roles in each game they're featured in. Maybe a Misko was alive thousands of years ago, and that's when he built those little altars in the caves before they closed up. Then, some time before the calamity, another Misko was born, who would also become a master bandit, and hide his loot around Hyrule. Just like every Beedle we've seen is a merchant, maybe every Misko ends up a master thief

[@Seabasstard22]

19:33 well an npc’s journal at the Hebra region labyrinth says the zonal-in-design stone at the entrance just randomly showed up they say the same thing about the caves and other phenomena. That they just booped into existence the moment the upheaval happened just like BTTF

[@joshuamackey2326]

The dragon's were originally zonai i believe cause they have the same flowing hair that rauru has

[@nadiat.8419]

I like to think that the mogma from skyward sword are the zonai of the past. It's not a very well thought out idea but as a whole I think they dug so far down they found the depths and the zonaite. After finding the zonaite they mined it and found it's amazing properties and got smarter over all the time they were down their. Digging takes a long time and their basically stuck down their at rock bottom expanding their minds and their mines.

[@coryhafer7285]

The three golden goddesses seen the three timeline split and didn't want that to continue. They woven the strains of fate to create one destiny again. Everything which were simular merged together to continue existing in the new timeline. Some of these become legends. However, everything which were different had been destroyed, but the energy could not. So, the goddesses focused those energies and created the Zonie. This is why they have such amazing powers and technologies. This means we can still have the events of ancient Hyrule as told by TotK, because that ancient time was still the far future from the last games.

[@spore_sprout]

I love every time a new Zelda video shows up on my feed. It is fuel. I feel as though I am being fed a good hearty meal, like a good Creamy Heart Soup, if you will. (Zelda is one of my biggest special interests, and one of the things that clued me in to realizing I’m autistic)

[@emmathornley4745]

The light dragon splitting the dueling peaks makes sense in context of TOTK creating a closed loop timeline, as Ganondorf wouldn't have known their names without Zelda traveling back to begin with

[@tristanneal9552]

In Japanese Shinto belief, there is the concept of Yomi, which is a dark netherworld and physical afterlife below the ground. It is known as both the World of Darkness and the Land of the Dead. Furthermore, in Shinto myths Gods will sometimes physically descend in Yomi and come back out from it. I believe the Depths are inspired by Yomi and the Zonai, being a God Tribe inspired by the Japanese Kami, could physically enter and exit it. From Wikipedia: "This realm of the dead seems to have geographical continuity with this world and certainly cannot be thought of as a paradise to which one would aspire, nor can it appropriately be described as a hell in which one suffers retribution for past deeds; rather, all deceased carry on a gloomy and shadowy existence in perpetuity, regardless of their behavior in life."

[@Fezzael]

I love the purgatory theory, specially considering the fact that Mineru is the wielded the Spirit Stone and managed to transfer get soul into different things so perhaps she had a big role alongside the bargainers who are the ones to receive said poes.

[@coffeec8873]

after totk i thought that the portals the dragons went through in botw were just parts in the cloud barrier that hid the sky islands… like they were visiting the light dragon or something lol

[@duckerdoo]

What if Misko the Great Bandit wasn't a single person, but a whole team of people acting as a single entity. Any witnesses to their deeds would only report a single figure in the shadows, so tales of a single great bandit was passed down.

[@shardcollectorfilms6575]

I'm actually working on a whole research paper about the Zonai. I feel like all of the talk around the Zonai suddenly stopped when Tears of the Kingdom came out, as it threw everyone who previously made a theory about them off. I have heard some things about the Zonai from ZeldaTubers, but they are scattered, and I think that some of them are misguided (though the Zelda series was intentionally left to the players' own interpretations). I have collected some scattered small theories regarding the Zonai and dug up my own, and may have uncovered some massive secrets that many may not have even thought existed. It's still a Work in Progress, but if you are interested I will update this comment with the link when it's done.

[@shirosenshiesq]

Misko: I think he's still alive and either long-lived, immortal, or one in a long line of Miskos. He stole the artefacts from the castle during the 100 years Link was asleep - not hard for the greatest bandit of all time - and then snuck back in while Link was missing and recovering during TotK. Triforce: I've said it before and I'll say it again - the Triforce isn't missing. It just hasn't been touched by an enemy. It usually splits when touched, but Ganondorf hasn't chased it this time - so it never got found or split and has likely been largely forgotten while it sits there chilling out in the Light Realm. The Depths: The Depths are likely a reflection of the Japanese Yomi, or afterlife. The Yomi is not heaven or hell, and is not a separate plane - it's seen as a real place that someone can get to which has homes and houses, and even people and creatures living there, and can be left, often accessed from a cave. In fact, Japan has a famous location that is a cave supposed to lead to Yomi.

[@Karuminu2]

Remember that Blood Moon guy Hino in BotW who runs and thrashes around the Dueling Peaks Stable at every Blood Moon rising? Does he still do that on Blood Moons in TotK? I'd stick around to see for myself, but I usually don't feel in the mood to take out that entire freaking monster fort again so soon after slaying them all.

[@Fuzzypaws]

The director of TotK has a history of introducing other Uber-powerful artifacts on par with the Triforce, since he did it in Minish Cap as well. The secret stones are cut from the same cloth as Minish relics like the Light Force and wishing cap. So in universe, the secret stones may actually be Minish relics as well, since they seem to have the ability to gather up Force and turn it into objects with inherent power. See also kinstones which create small local alterations of reality. Misko was likely an (ex? And probably ancient) Yiga or Sheikah, since multiple of the treasures either are hidden inside Zonai ruins or in one case even require Ascend. And the yiga and ancient sheikah are the only people besides Link with any significant understanding of Zonai mysteries.

[@Mari_Izu]

Not all caves were opened by the upheavel, because lots of NPCs talked about already having visited some of them in the past. It's probably the video game logic of "they were already there, we just couldn't see them"

[@verdantmistral442]

I think Misko might be a reference to the Japanese folktales about Goemon. He might predate the Wild Era entirely.

[@iamnotmegan]

Since i saw the dragon outfit sets in totk, I've had the feeling that the three dragons were originally sages who represented/served their respective goddesses and were protectors of their region. They knew they were only mortal and would age and die eventually, so they all willingly underwent draconification in order to become immortal and continue protecting their regions. Of course, they lost all of their mortal memories, but Zelda proves that your mortal imperatives continue on instinctively as a dragon - not only does she eventually give up the Master Sword to Link as a dragon, but she also continues to fly in a circle over her entire kingdom, constantly watching over the citizes she swore to serve as their ruler in her mortal life. The fact that she only watches over the surface and the sky could also prove this - she was never aware of the depths and her people were never there, she'd have no reason or imperative to go down there. The three dragons, however, likely hailed from a time when Hylians were aware and mined in the depths, so they'd know and have the imperative to make their "rounds" down there, too. I don't believe they're the goddesses incarnate, though. Theyre probably somewhere far beyond the mortals' reach.

[@ethacon]

The dragons in BotW exit the world through the cloud barrier, which is destroyed in TotK. They now fly around on the map at all times. They were probably Zonai Sages.

[@jimmyx18f]

I figured Misko existed between when all the other timelines converged and the Zonai hooked up with the Hylians to build new-rule. That gives ample time for caves to crumble and reopen during various calamities. Depends on which timeline you subscribe to.

[@vinnnival]

Well, it's OBVIOUS that Misko's is just Hyrule's most dedicated cosplayer

[@wolfzend5964]

Dumb idea, but what if Misko was actually a Keaton? A mischief fueled spirit of incredible longevity, playful in nature and so on. Stealing treasure, leaving clues and playing games by wanting others to find them.

[@olivervictor7697]

I love these questions, especially the ones related to the 3 dragons lore. Maybe in a dlc? I also wondered if perhaps a trio swallowed the triforce, and similar to the tears being swallowed the triforce transforms them into dragons. I like this theory better though.

[@graenovember]

A counterargument to the bed evidence is that you can also sleep at selmie’s house and the abandoned house near fort hateno. i think zelink are a couple though, nintendo wouldn’t have sent out so many romantic hints if they weren’t.

[@Ganondorf77]

I think it's still the same timeline concerning the dueling peaks and the light dragon, because the mountain was two in botw, which means she had already been in the past to start the events of totk. So I think it's possible she split the mountain between her becoming a dragon and the point in time when botw occurs

[@rebekahcalcote8308]

My thoughts on the Great Bandit is that maybe the name just got passed down like the Dread Pirate Robert (from the Princess Bride) but the last Great Bandit either retired, died, or was killed passing the name down to the next.

[@soopnoudle]

Dueling Peaks Timetravel Idea: In the Zelda universe, time travel is a loop. If you go back in time, it changes the future. It doesn't create a new future, just changes it. We see this in Skyward Sword, Majora's Mask, and Tears of the Kingdom. The only game that is an issue is Ocarina of Time. But, there are 2 ways of time-traveling in the game. The master sword works the way I stated before. The ocarina spell that Zelda uses at the end of the game, forces Link farther back in time, into a new timeline. Basically, my theory is that the only reason the Ocarina did something different is cause the spell Zelda used was specifically meant to break/split the timeline. Why would she do that? Either she didn't know or didn't want to erase the history of her timeline

[@pyriel6870]

Around 12:05, ive always assumed since I saw their paths in TotK that the most logical reason for the dragons appearing from lakes was them returning from the depths. As well as them disappearing into sky portals being them entering into the sky islands hidden before the upheaval. When the Upheaval happened in TotK, the 3 dragons full path was revealed to us. Their sudden appearance and disappearance was due to whatever magic hid them from view all those Millenia ago. That's my head canon anyway lol. Another small theory on the dragons is that they're ancient Zonai and the reason draconification is forbidden in Rauru's time. Dinraal, Naydra, and Farosh have "goat-like" features, whereas Zelda and Ganondorf looked somewhat human-ish/hylian/gerudo. I'm pretty sure you actually covered the 2nd little theory in a prior video, or I'm remembering some other zeldatuber talking about it since that one is common theory lol.

[@geoffreyrichards6079]

As cool as that dragon stone theory may sound, I doubt they could’ve been shards of the Triforce, given how King Rauru and Queen Sonia were the first rulers of Hyrule, which would place them before the events of the other games where the Triforce was shown to be in-tact.

[@lordsatis]

Although I'm unsure of the chasms opening up, perhaps Ganondorf lifting the castle also sent his power all over the depths at that moment, as it seemed before his release from the seal, Ganon's power was only going directly upward into the shiekah device above him. If Ganondorf's gloom blankets the depths only after he raises the castle, this could explain the chasms as well as gloom covered enemies. Also, the gloom roots seem old and almost like an opposite to the light roots which absorb light seemingly from the shrines. It could be possible the entire chamber during ganondorf's fight existed before, simply made of light roots that Ganondorf's power has corrupted, after all if the lightroots are under the shrines of light it would make sense for a large root of sorts under the center of light in hyrule, the castle. If not, then it could be summed up as the gloom roots growing closer to ganondorf, fueling his darkness, just as lightroots that grow under shrines of light heal us from him.

[@TrueKoalaKnight]

The Golden Goddesses becoming the TriForce and then becoming the Dragons is far beyond a theory and is squarely in Fan Fiction territory. It's just too much.

[@lasercraft32]

Umm... Not really no. How is that "fan fiction?" We know that eating a secret stone makes you into a dragon, and the three dragons are clearly named after the three goddesses. Its not that big of a stretch to think that maybe the three dragons are the three golden goddesses, or some reincarnated mortal form of them (like Din and Nayru from Oracle of Ages/Seasons).

[@TrueKoalaKnight]

@@lasercraft32 Yes, really. It is no different than fan fiction because it's purely speculation. It has zero supporting evidence. And it could just as easily be applied to any other three arbitrary characters. Here's an equally baseless theory. What if before undergoing dragonification, they were originally a Gerudo Chief, a descendant of Hylia, and a chosen Hero. They lived around the time the Zonai first came down to the Land of Hyrule and the Triforce was still around. Each of them was able to gain perfect equilibrium with one piece of the Triforce and thus merged with them. Heralded as avatars of the Golden Goddesses, they took up names in honor of them. A calamity struck the land of Hyrule suddenly, but the 3 avatars sealed it away and were each rewarded with a secret stone. Then as time went on, signs pointed to a future revival of the calamity. In an effort to safeguard the land of Hyrule, the three avatars underwent dragonification which was thought to grant eternal life. Having lost the 3 legendary avatars in this way, the Zonai forbade the process of dragonification. This explains why the Triforce is gone and how the process of dragonification became forbidden. Additionally, the Oracles are not reincarnated mortal forms of the Golden Goddesses either. The original Japanese text even refers to them as shrine maidens. They are simply named after the Golden Goddesses.

[@j05494]

I always thought the depths was the pre flood Hyrule of lost legends (same one at the bottom of wind waker's ocean). We know all Zelda games fit on all time lines in some way, meaning all timelines have a great flood, and new Hyrule. This is probably the old Hyrule after hundreds of thousands of years of erosion.

[@kymmie_girl]

Since we can buy “copies” of special armors from the bargainer statues in the depths, I think there being multiple sets of the armors Misko stole is certainly plausible. Which could also expand when he was from. Maybe he was from a time when the caves were open, stole the armors, and was planning some sort of adventure/quest/scavenger hunt for people/future Links to find them. But didn’t complete it for some reason. Then the royal family created more/bought them from the bargainers when they couldn’t find the ones that were stolen.

[@samuxan]

Regarding Misko I think it's easier. I don't think it's an individual but an organization or a name that is pass down within a guild of thieves dating back to the founding of Hyrule. That would explain the oddity and age of the sets found in those caves

[@PARK-sy3tf]

I like this theory. It would also explain why there’s multiple copies of certain sets as multiple have been stolen/replicated by the bandit gangs.

[@panosmosproductions3230]

Yes. A lot of Chasms were opposed in the upheaval. All but one. The Yiga Hole. That chasms has existed since long before the upheaval.

[@annieandelsieofarendelle3294]

For the Dragons, I'm afraid I have to disagree with the Triforce being broken up into the Secret Stones. We see the complete Triforce in-game in Zelda's prayer memory for her to heal the Master Sword so it hasn't been broken up. As for why people don't know who Link is in Hateno, well, let's keep in mind that Link has never liked the spotlight since it causes a lot of pressure for him to live up to the expectation of being Hyrule's perfect hero instead of just Link. For all we know, he's okay with Zelda taking the reigns in social situations and is content to fade into the background unless it's one of their friends. And we know Link and Zelda often travel across Hyrule if Riju's diary is anything to go by. Combine both of these thoughts with the idea that Link is missing for presumably months, usually travels with the princess, only to come back with one arm and probably smelling like the dead; it's not hard to see why people don't recognize him. The logical conclusion is that out of boredom, Misko broke into Link and Zelda's house, stole all his clothes, hid them all around Hyrule, and waited for Link to wake up to play his game. Also, Misko could be a legacy name, not a single person.

[@Chaos89P]

The thing about the Dueling Peaks theory is that it's stated somewhere - I think in one of the memories involving Mineru - that draconification robs the Secret Stone swallower of their self-awareness, becoming no more different than an animal. The events of the final battle against the Demon Dragon does seem to contradict this, however, due to how the Light Dragon behaves both during and after the battle, not to mention the tears she produces not long after draconification.

[@verdantmistral442]

I think the tears are literally her memories being shed by process. She holds onto her last hope until the very end. But I think her will to fight Ganondorf may have stayed behind. Her single most important purpose, her reason for becoming a dragon remained. Same for Ganondorf.

[@Idealisticles]

All right let's do this one more time! Here are some major theories/ mysteries I need addressed from my understanding of Tears of the Kingdom... 1.Totk Zelda is the first and last Zelda of Legend, and therefore when eating the secret stone she became the original goddess Hylia. 2. Zonai Rauru founded Hyrule on the Great Plateau after a Zonai civil War where only himself and Mineru survived after he sealed the creators of Majora's Mask in the Twilight Realm who became the Twili. Zant's outfit is very reminiscent of the depths armor. 3. The Bargainer Statues were created before the goddess statues and the process through which poes were ushered to beyond was abused by the zonai whom Rauru barely managed to seal away thus leaving him and Mineru the task of restoring the land their people destroyed. Rauru reclaimed secret stones from his fallen brothers the original sages of the zonai and sealed them in the forgotten temple to prevent their abuse. 4. Din, Nayru, and Faroh made the ultimate sacrifice to help restore the world from the devastation of the Zonai Civil war by consuming their secret stones with a similar selflessness that Zelda did but together. This sacrifice and the power of the intention behind their actions is what created the triforce and facilitated the restoration of Hyrule and the world to a blossoming and livable place. 5. Sonia's time powers and her tribe of Hylians were essential in the final push to seal the interloper bad faith Zonai, thus kickstarting the union of their people. 6. Rauru and Sonia had never heard the names Zelda, Link or Ganondorf because their Hyrule is the first established. Skyloft and Hylians living on the sky islands were all necessary to prevent the fledgling Hyrule Kingdom from being destroyed by the first manifestation of Calamity Ganon. 7. After Rauru's sacrifice plans were made to erect a sealing structure above them to imprison ganon for as long as possible to protect the kingdom. The Hylian followers of Mineru became the Sheikah and preserved as much Zonai knowledge and technology as possible while guarding this seal preparing trials to detect the spirit of a hero. 8. The first hero was the descendent of Mineru and unamed Hylian and used the Goddess sword with their cousin, a descendant of Rauru and Sonia's only Child whom was named Hylia to honor their Kingdom and was raised in secret by the Chamberlain who preserved the history of Hyrule for those who became the Skyloft Hylians. This Hylia is who began naming her daughter Zelda in honor of the sage who sacrificed herself to protect her parents kingdom and whom became the Light Dragon Hylia. 9. The first sealing of ganon and legend the Sheikah tapestry was based on is why the people of Skyloft remained their for so long. After the sealing and dealing the divine beasts piloted by the original 4 remaining sages whom were still blessed with their secret stones and mandate laid their beasts to rest where Zelda told them they'd be found in her time before the events of BOTW. 10. Ganondorf's original extremists with the help of Koume and Kotake created ghirahim as a foil to the goddess sword they just lost to on their first unsealing attempt and set him on a path to unseal Ganondorf. Demise was the first Phantom Ganon and was such in order to wield Ghirahim. Thus necessitated the powering up and creation of a stronger sword of evil's bane. This form of Ganon is what set the curse upon the blood of goddess and spirit of the hero ensuring the cycle continued until ganondorf's eventual revival in tears. 11. The sheikah remained the soul protectors of ganondorf's seal until after the events of Skyward Sword when the people returned to the land and built what would become Hyrule Castle over Rauru's seal. 12. Any ganondorf througout the series was named such as a traditon for the Male gerudo kinig who united the tribes. if they had a lust for power or evil they would easily become a vessel through which Mummydorf could attempt to revive himself. The most well known being Ocarina GAnondorf who came the closest to becoming a true Demon King in his own right. If he had a secret stone he probably would have decimated. 13. I don't believe for a second that Zonai accidentally refounded Hyrule and just failed to understand the history of the land prior. Dismissing these possibilities because of ambiguous statements from an interview is shortsighted but understandable. 14. Yes I have more but I'll spare us all until perhaps I produce my own video on the subject... Cheers friends!

[@joeradish2087]

19:05 I would said that's great attention to detail, but an entire mountain isn't exactly a "detail." The devs continue to amaze me.

[@graenovember]

There’s a video that explains TOTK as a closed loop. What happens in the past does stay in the future. Thus, there are 2 master swords in the game and we can guess that the light dragon was flying high in the sky even before human baby zelda was born. I think the light dragon breaking the dueling peaks is possible, but it’s weird for it to do that since it has no conscious thought except for the motive of healing the sword and assisting link. I also wouldn’t really like if Zelda turned out to be the one who broke it too, it’s like slapping the zonai on everything.

[@dkunk7517]

Not sure if it's been suggested, but what if Misko the Great Bandit wasn't a specific person but a name passed from Master to apprentice. Like The Dread Pirate Robert's. And treasures have been hidden for millennia?

[@bathilra5364]

Holy shit I didn’t expect to get jumpscared by myself in less then 4 minutes

[@adrienneladd8375]

theory 1: Miska could just be very very skilled and have gotten the items from the castle shortly before Link awaking after 100 years for BoTW, and therefore is around to place the shrines in TotK. Theory 2: the three dragons are clearly former Zonai, look at their ears and how else would Draconification be known about enough to be forbidden if someone hadn't already done it. And if the three dragons are the Golden Goddesses then there should be at least one more dragon flying around who had gone through the process as stated before. Theory 3: I am a fan of Zelink. Theory 4: it is possible that its a closed time loop, where the time travel was predetermined and created the circumstances that allowed for the time travel. But yeah I like the idea that Zelda created the dueling peaks.

[@dbv8600]

I heard thoughts on weather the Depths were the Afterlife but the theory that they are actually an in between Purgatory actually makes much more sense. I don't think the Zonai mines hurt the theory at all remember the legend is that the Zonai are some kind of gods. Weather that is true or not it is likely believed because the Zonai were messing with things that seemed god like such as being able to access Purgatory. The Sheika had advanced tech and they are not seen as gods. What could hurt this theory is the ancient Goron city of Gorondia. However thanks to a side quest we now know that Gorons are born from the earth so it is possible the reasons the Gorons are originally from there is because the Barginar Statues are putting the Souls they collect into the earth and that is why Gorons used to live in the Depths until the Volcano (which may not be natural) made the barrier between the Depths and Surface thinner so they were then able to force the lost Poe Souls into pieces of earth on the surface.

[@CouragelessOne]

Wait that's actually genius I never thought of Gorons that way

[@dbv8600]

@@CouragelessOne Thanks!

[@xerxies8947]

To me Zelda and Link are totally their own people in every iteration, which leads me to headcanon that sometimes they fall in love and other times they don't. In this case I think there's support enough to believe ZeLink is real. Not canon but headcanon real.

[@gregengleman5702]

I have a favor to ask. I'm obsessed with what the depths are too. I'm not really sold on the purgatory theory because there are too many settlements, ruins, constructs, etc, but I'm curious about what could possibly have been there before. Has it always been underground? Why are the fire temple and spirit temple down there? Did Mineru originally live there? Why are there statues of the races pointing towards mines? Was that their original purpose (and why are all 4 in King Gleeok's den?) Could a video be done on that at some point?

[@WayWardWonderer]

Question/Theory: The Final battle between Ganondorf and Rauru alongside his Six Sages appears to have taken place in an underground area that subsequently had Hyrule Castle built atop of it to keep Ganondorf sealed. Why did Ganondorf choose that location to face off with Rauru? Was it the original opening for the Depths? Is there a potent source of dark energy that Ganondorf was using to fuel his power residing in that area?

[@swigglyforce5215]

ive been wondering that since the game came out, the area beneath hyrule castle must have been important

[@olivervictor7697]

I wonder what the scale of the reconstruction going on after the calamity was at, and what areas the hylians were planning on rebuilding were. There is certainly sign of growth, like at tarrey town and the build stations around hyrule, but were no other places to be rebuilt before Ganondorf came back? I think places like tabantha village, deya village, and the plethora of ruins around hyrule would be worked on but no. Also, where'd the divine beasts go? Were they buried again, taken apart (i like to imagine a bunch of ancient gadgets or implemented in the rebuilding) or are they the towers scattered across hyrule? And finally, what happened to the shrine of resurrection and the divine beast below and the one hit obliterator

[@danaepeters6019]

I think this is the earliest I've been for one of your videos! I love RYTM, excited for the video!

[@HyruleGamer]

Thanks a lot, really appreciate it!

[@satellachannel6423]

Stupid theory; Misko could be Zelda, thrown in the past while carrying the wardrobe of Link that he got in Breath of the Wild (would "make sense" for the princess bodyguard to give her his best gear now that they are exploring dangerous areas together). Just like she used her ressources to help Link in the future by restoring the Master Sword etc, she could've been the one hiding the armors or giving the orders to do so (Mirko being a made-up legend).